True sight
by Miss Anonymiss
Summary: Hinata unlocks another level to the byakugan
1. Chapter 1

If there is another level to the sharingan, why can't there be another level to the byakugan?

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Naruto. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

--

It wasn't too surprising when Hinata learned that she had been passed over for heir and would be banished to the branch clan. It was surprising, however, when she found out that Neji was willing to risk his life to make sure that she was not caged. He had helped her with alibis and forged mission papers as Hinata left the village, never to return. He wanted to make sure that at least she could fly free.

Hinata declared herself a missing nin with a slash across her headband. After a week or two, she was officially listed as missing and Anbu started coming after her. Hinata quickly learned that her peace loving ways wouldn't get her far with so many people trying to kill her. She could no longer afford to pull her hits.

She made sure to keep a genjutsu on herself so that no one would know that she had the byakugan as she traveled through towns. She healed herself and rested in sleazy motels, the kind where no one would take note of who is coming or going or care to share such information.

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, judging by the four man hunter nin squad that was currently after her. She set traps that had slowed them down but they seemed to be herding her. Hinata found herself stopped by a rain of kunai. A genjutsu was cast by one of them which she quickly broke but not before another started attacking her with his katana. Dodging the down stroke of the blade she moved into another hunter nin right behind her. This one attempted to freeze her by touch but Hinata managed to release her chakra from her tenketsu and thaw herself before turning and delivering a blow that would have been fatal if it hadn't been blocked. She quickly realized that another genjutsu was being cast and attempted to release it. No one was near her, but a rain of senbon. Apparently they knew better than to get too close. She used the eight trigrams technique to keep the weapons from hitting her. Hinata did not worry about using the signature technique of her clan as it appeared that they already knew who she was. As several senbon hit her anyway and her vision started to blur, she realized that the senbon were poisoned.

For all Hinata could see, it just wasn't enough. She had to focus even more if she wanted to live. Suddenly, she found herself seeing what she hadn't a minute ago - true 360 degree vision. She had flashes of images that she knew were not of the surrounding landscape, but were of her being killed and injured in various ways. She also saw herself – from someone else's eyes.

She deduced her opponents positions from their perspectives of her. She formed shadow clones – Naruto's signature technique, she thought sadly – before quickly dispersing them. Being able to see what her opponents were thinking helped her to dodge their upcoming attacks and strike back. The squad of hunter nin was successfully dealt with but not without complications. Hinata staggered to rest against a tree as she used what was left of her chakra to pull the poison out of her body. She fell asleep not far from the fight, exhausted.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Naruto. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

--

Hinata woke up some time later only to find that she had slept for most of the day. How she remained undisturbed, she didn't know. The good news is that her chakra was now replenished. She made sure to put up her guard and tried her best to stay that way.

She didn't notice the eyes watching her nor the whispered, "She will do".

What she did notice was the fact that she needed to find shelter, food and water. She activated her byakugan again, the now basic form this time, so that she didn't have to wander randomly in her search. She spotted a stream just 40 meters north and 10 meters east from where she was. Perhaps she could find some food as well, as animals tend to cluster near water sources. Hinata decided to travel there and wash her the blood and dirt off of her healed wounds. The water had some silt in it, but it would have to do. She scrubbed herself the best she could without soap, something that was now a luxury. She washes her only clothes careful of the weapons hidden in them. A brief flare of chakra dries her clothes.

Hinata decided to catch a fish to sate her appetite. She managed to catch some charr. Using a simple fire justu and a kunai, she gutted the fish before roasting them. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

She travelled to yet another town, her byakugan activated, in search of an inn. Hinata was haggling with the innkeeper over price when her head started to hurt. After the throbbing subsided or she simply got used to it, Hinata wasn't sure which, she saw various images flash through her mind that she shouldn't be able to see even as an ex-Hyuuga. "How?" she whispered. She wasn't trying to see everything, she just was. Hinata saw a picture of herself and a bounty listed under it. "Never mind. I'll take it." she told the innkeeper, seeing his worried face. She could only hope that she wouldn't be recognized.

Later that night, she saw some people gather around the inn near her room. Thankfully, they were mostly civilians and she managed to avoid being spotted as she snuck away onto the roof before jumping into an alleyway and running away. It was becoming even more of a risk to show her face in public.

--

I write short chapters.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Naruto. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

--

Hinata couldn't run forever, she had to stop somewhere. Using the byakugan so often to avoid encounters was taking its toll on her chakra. Her first priority would be to find a safe haven.

She had travelled far enough away from leaf that there should be less people actively looking for her. The only people after her now either wanted her bounty or had heard of her bloodline.

She was close to no man's land, a neutral area where only civilians were supposed to reside. Seeing that she had cut ties to her village, there would be no one to punish her for her indiscretion. The only punishment Hinata would receive would be the same no matter where she was. As long as she didn't cause any trouble, she should be safe. Other missing nins shouldn't care if she left them alone and Hinata wouldn't need the byakugan to defend herself against civilians.

Something caught her attention, but it was just a paper butterfly. Wait a minute – since when were butterflies made of paper? Another ninja was nearby. Hopefully they would leave her alone.

"Hhello? Who-o ar-re you?" Oops. So much for non interference.

The butterfly fluttered towards her and suddenly there were more of them. An entire swarm of paper butterflies started to take shape before her.

"Hello. We've been watching you."

"Watching me? Why?" How is it that she never noticed it?

"If you come with me, you could gain some powerful allies."

"Where? A-and what's the cost?"

"To Amegakure." Konan refused to answer the second question.

Hinata never thought that she would be spending her eighteenth birthday like this.

--

A really short chapter and I am chipping away at the block.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Naruto. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

I don't know what Amegakure actually looks like, so I apologize for getting anything wrong.  
I also don't know the full extent of Pein's abilities besides mastering jutsu and body switching, so I will be making up a few abilities.

--

As Hinata followed the strange blue-haired woman, she wondered about what the Akatsuki wanted with her. She had recognized the black cloak with red clouds when they had started the journey through overgrown woodlands but she had yet to say something about it. If they had wanted her dead, they would have killed her already. They probably wanted Hinata to work for or with them. If she joined, she would gain powerful allies but she would also gain enemies. On the other hand, it was best not to make enemies out the Akatsuki by refusing. Strange that she was wondering whether or not to join the organization that was basically out to kill the man she once loved. She knew that his death would just be a side effect of the extraction ceremony, but he would be just as dead.

It didn't take long for the sky to darken and a drizzle to start, becoming a heavier rain as they continued. Hinata must have been closer to Amegakure than she had thought. The heavy metal pipes covering the rundown buildings soon came into visual range. They must less than a kilometer away.

It was poouring by the time they made it to the entrance of the village. A strange statue of a man – or was it a monster? – seemed to tower over them. She was led to the building connected to the statue. In the entranceway a disembodied voice rose up around them.

"Show me what you can do."

"Wh-what?"

"Activate the byakugan" When Hinata seemed hesitant, Konan whispered to her "Do not dare disobey god."

Hinata activated the byakugan before feeling the throbbing pressure in her head again. She was able to see Konan's view of her and a view of the city. The other person talking to them wasn't anywhere nearby, so how could they know what was going on?

"Welcome to the Akatsuki, Hinata Hyuuga."

"I-it's just Hin-nata."

"Very well." And on that note, Hinata entered the building that she assumed was the headquarters of both Amegakure and the Akatsuki.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Naruto. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

--

Once introductions were over, Hinata deactivated her byakugan. Konan led Hinata through the maze of stone hallways, incandescent lights flickering every once in a while. There was a light every two meters and Hinata had already counted 500 of them by the time Konan stopped in front of a steel door.

"This will be your room. All you will need is inside. The kitchen is at the end of the third hallway to the right. The other members are currently out on missions but should be back soon."

"Thank you." Konan left down yet another hall and Hinata was left with the key to the room. The key stuck in the lock a bit but the door opened smoothly. There was a desk along the wall on the right with a simple chair and a door leading into a bathroom on the wall on the left. Between them near the far wall lay a bed. There was no window but that was okay. All that would be seen would be rain and other half-rundown buildings. Besides, she didn't need a window to look outside.

On the bed was a black cloak with red clouds on it and a ring. The ring had the symbol of virgin engraved on it. Upon placing the ring on her left thumb, a spark of some kind traveled through her hand to her fingertips and back up chakra system before settling back in the ring. Apparently a special jutsu had just been activated. She was now officially a member of the Akatsuki and could participate in the meetings. Speaking of which, a meeting was currently being called, if Hinata had interpreted the feeling that she got from the ring correctly. She bit her thumb and ran the blood over the ring, falling into a meditative state.

When Hinata opened her eyes again, she was sitting in a cavern along with a few other bodies that were projected inside. She recognized Kisame and Konan, but didn't know about some of the others. What caught her attention was a cloak-less Sasuke.

--  
I looked it up on Wikipedia, and it turns out that Sasuke teams up with Akatsuki against Konoha. That is what will happen in this fic.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Naruto. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

If I get anything wrong, please tell me. I have only actually read up to Sakura's battle with Sasori. I love reading spoilers. :)

--

The questioning glances were answered by, "I have called this meeting to introduce the newest member of the Akatsuki. She is called Hinata."

"H-hello. May I a-ask who all of you are?" Hinata responded.

"Certainly. My name is Zetsu. **Nice to eat you.**"

"Name's Kisame. Welcome."

"I believe that we have already met, but my name is Konan and this is Pein, our leader." Konan pointed to the mysterious man with glowing orange eyes with concentric dark circles and a face filled with piercings. This must be the person that the mysterious voice belonged to. Pein continued were Konan left off by stating, "Sasuke, please introduce your team."

"..." With a glare from Pein, Sasuke reluctantly gave in.

"Fine. My name is Sasuke Uchiha, as if you didn't already know, to my right is Karin, to my left is Suigetsu, and behind me is Juugo."

To Sasuke's right was a woman with red eyes hidden behind glasses and bright red hair, half of it short and the other half long. She seemed to be dressed provocatively on purpose. On his left was a man with pale skin and hair with a giant sword strapped to his back. The giant behind him appeared to have light brown hair and eyes.

Juugo remained silent but Karin and Suigetsu more than made up for it. Karin made sure that she didn't even think of getting close to her Sasuke-kun and Suigetsu kept trying to hit on Hinata and involve her in some sort of plot. She wasn't sure why he wanted to steal a sword, considering he already had one. With the way Kisame kept giving them dirty looks, she figured that it was his sword Suigetsu was after.

Pein cleared his throat. "On to the next order of business. Capture of the last two jinchuuriki."

"Let me take on the Kyuubi." "No, Sasuke, I don't want you to try to take on Konoha with just your group. You will join Zetsu in retrieving the eight-tailed beast. Hinata, you will join Kisame in his appointed task of retrieving the Kyuubi. Do not hold back," Pein warned.

"I guess this means you and I are partners," Kisame grinned, his sharpened teeth showing. Hinata would now be responsible for Naruto's capture and death. As if things couldn't get any worse, Sasuke confronted her as the meeting was dismissed.

"So you finally realized just how bad Konoha is, huh." "Konoha's not that bad."

"Then why did you become join Akatsuki?"

"I wanted to be free and I had nowhere else to go."

"Says the little birdy who just flew into a larger cage." Was Sasuke right? Did she just maintain an illusion of being free, while in reality she was still caged? Hinata didn't know what to think now, other than the fact that she had to smother all feelings for Naruto if she was to complete her mission.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Naruto. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

--

Hinata met with Kisame in person on the outskirts of the rain village. With her byakugan, there was no need for directions on where to find him. A conversation quickly started on where they might find their prey, Naruto. It was hard to think of him as such, but she had to.

"Where do you think we should look first?" Kisame asked.

"He's usually out training. He should be keeping closer to Konoha but he will be under guard as the Akatsuki, I-i mean we, are more focused on the kyuubi."

"I don't know, he always was one for doing the unexpected."

"I g-guess you're right." She dropped her head down in thought. However, with her simple byakugan still activated, she was able to see him looking at her in what looked like pity.

"There's no reason to be nervous, as it's not like I'm going to attack my partner like Kakuzu did." Kisame seemed a bit nostalgic. "Though I can if you want." He grinned.

"No, but I was thinking of setting up a trap for him. He always was fond of his friendships, so..." She trailed off. She needed to speak to the leader. Maybe she could be relieved of her mission. Hinata didn't want to be around when the extraction ceremony was done either, but she didn't have a choice. She didn't have many choices lately. What had happened to her freedom?

"We could use you as bait. After all, you were close to him, weren't you?" Kisame continued.

"Yes, we could say that I was being held captive by you." So close to the truth and yet so far.

"Well then, let's get going. First, you're going to need to change your appearance. Can't have him finding out the truth." A layered genjutsu later and Kisame and Hinata were on their way to Konoha. Along the way, they made sure to make a ruckus and send out rumors of her capture. Some of them might reach Naruto. He would charge on out to rescue her and fall into the trap. Hinata could only hope that the Hyuuga clan wasn't setting a trap of their own for her.

--  
This story has gone beyond my original plan, and I am running out of ideas. If anyone has any suggestions, I'll be glad to hear them.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Naruto. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.  
--

Meanwhile, back in Konoha

"Tsunade-baachan, you have to let me look for Hinata!"

"How many times do I have to tell you? We already tried looking for her. She killed the Anbu scouts. She is officially a missing-nin." Naruto sure knew how to try her patience. What she wouldn't do for a nice glass of sake right now. Tsunade was jolted out of her thoughts with the appearance of Naruto's face a little too close to her own.

"Naruto!"

"Tsunade-baachan, if we were able to convince the Hyuugas not to kill Neji, maybe we can convince them to forgive Hinata. If we take away the reason why she left, maybe she will return." Naruto just couldn't believe that Hinata would kill anyone without just cause. The shy girl was one of his best friends. He hadn't given up on Sasuke, and he wasn't giving up on Hinata.

It was about this time that a message came in. Hinata was taken hostage by the Akatsuki member Kisame.

"See? I knew she wouldn't betray us on purpose."

"Fine brat. If you think you can convince Hinata to come back, I'll let you be part of the retrieval team. But remember! We are dealing with the Akatsuki here. If there is any chance of them getting the Kyuubi, retreat. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, Tsunade-baachan." Tsunade had a bad feeling about this mission. Something wasn't right. Why hadn't Hinata attempted escaping yet?  
--

Team Kakashi was sent to find Hinata and set her free. It took a couple of weeks of searching even though their quarry wanted to be found. It seemed suspicious that Kisame would let Hinata go without more of a fight. A simple genjutsu had caused him to release his grip. Before Sakura could look her over, she slammed her palm into Naruto's chest. "Gentle Fist!" The genjutsu over Hinata wore off. The black cloak with red clouds was there for all the world to see.

"What's going on?" Naruto wheezed.

"You fell for it, hook, line and sinker."

"Hi-Hinata, whiy?" It was getting harder to breathe. He was going to pass out soon.

"Hey Hinata, you better make sure this kid doesn't die on us."

"Sakura, take Naruto and retreat. I'll hold them off." Kakashi ordered.

"You're not going anywhere." The fight between Kakashi and Kisame started for real this time while Hinata kept watch over Naruto's body, guarding it from all of Sakura's attempts. Being able to see what Sakura saw allowed her to better dodge or counter. However, her compassion caused her to slip and Sakura's earthquake broke her stance. She let Naruto go for now, as the other team retreated.

"What happened to you back there?"

"We don't need him right away. The extraction for the eight-tails comes first."

"Yeah but it will be a lot harder to get him next time. It would have been easier if we just held him captive."

"How long could we hold him before the Kyuubi broke through?"

"I don't know kid." Kisame was willing to give up for now. A message was being sent. The eight-tails had been caught. Naruto's time was almost out.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Naruto. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

--

Kisame and Hinata made as straight a path as they could back to the base, this time attempting to avoid their pursuers. Hinata's bloodline trait made tracking any pursuit attempts and avoiding them by taking different routes and setting traps easier.

The reason that they were called back to base, along with the other remaining Akatsuki members was because of the sheer amount of chakra necessary for the extraction ritual of eight tails. Sasuke's team was already at the base, getting the container for the eight tails into position at the extraction site. There was no time for introductions as each quickly went their own way to replenish their energy with food and rest. The traps around the extraction site were checked and double-checked.

Early the next day, Pein used the jutsu that summoned the statue of the demon god of hell. Everyone jumped up onto the finger that corresponded to the finger that their ring was on. Sasuke apparently had his brother's ring, while his teammates didn't have one. They were allowed to roam the base. They would be subject to extreme consequences if they messed anything up, however. Hinata spotted someone she hadn't seen before, wearing an odd looking mask with a swirl pattern, on one of the pinkies.

Pein called out to everyone, "This should take around a week, if not more. Be sure that your chakra reserves are full. Ready? Seven phantom dragon seals!" and with that began the jutsu that drew Hinata's chakra and required focus for a continuous withdrawal of chakra.

As time went on, Hinata found it harder to keep the stance. She wasn't the only one to sit down. A few days later, Hinata was glad she had medical ninja training as she used some of her chakra to filter the toxins out of her body that were starting to accumulate in her kidneys. After what seemed like forever, all of the statues eyes opened. The jutsu was finished.

Hinata didn't know whether to cry with relief or sorrow.

--

A long wait, a short chapter, and an apology for forgetting to include Tobi earlier.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Naruto. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

--

Hinata jumped off of the 'finger' that she was on, along with everybody else. A masked face suddenly appeared in front of her. In her surprise she almost attacked.

"Hello. Tobi's name is Tobi."  
"Tobi, let the nice lady have some space. **There's plenty of room in my stomach**."  
"Tobi is sorry, miss ?"  
"Hinata, H-my name is Hinata."  
"Hinata is a nice name nice lady."

"Let's all just get some rest over the next day or two. Then we can discuss plans for capturing the final bijuu."  
"Why can't we go after him right now?"  
"Patience, Sasuke. We don't have the chakra to expend in another extraction ceremony so soon after the last one."  
"Hn." "Please obey your god, Sasuke-san." "He is no god," Sasuke mumbled. Pein's eyes flashed in what could have been anger. "Easy now, you're scaring the little misses." Sasuke moved away, but not without looking back. He would have his revenge no matter who stood in his way.

Hinata went back to her room and a quick check assured her that everyone else was doing the same. A quick shower was in order before a long nap. She made sure to take a bite out of her rations before going to sleep.

When she woke up, the sun was just a little higher in the sky behind the clouds than it was before she went to sleep. Hinata had slept for almost twenty four hours. She decided to make her way to kitchen. Finding the kitchen was relatively simple with the byakugan. Finding the way to the kitchen was not so simple, especially in her half-awake state. At one point, she stumbled past a room in which Pein and Sasuke were arguing. Apparently, Sasuke's companions weren't so careful around the base in their absence and had caused a bit of a mess.

Hinata entered the kitchen to find some of her compatriots already eating. She thought it was lucky that Zetsu wasn't there, for she still wasn't certain that he wouldn't eat her.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, little lady." Kisame gestured that the seat next to him was free. Hinata decided to make herself some stir fry with whatever hadn't rotted in the refrigerator before sitting down. Kisame wasn't such a bad guy once you got to know him. Besides, small talk was a welcome distraction from the upcoming retrieval mission. Or at least it was, until he said, "How are we going to go about capturing Naruto this time?"

--  
Sorry about the wait. I'm going to be wrapping this story up soon, so another chapter or so before the finale that depends on your answer to this question - Should I have them capture Naruto or not?


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Naruto. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

A/N: The votes are in. Naruto will be captured.

"How are we going to go about capturing Naruto this time?"

That was a good question, considering that after their first botched attempt security around him would be tighter. Hinata voiced her uncertainty.

"I don't know."

"C'mon, there must be some idea in that head of yours. What makes you think that he won't continue to come after you, like he did for Sasuke?" Kisame questioned.

"Maybe he would, except everybody else would try to stop him this time. After all, his life is at stake."

"Has that ever stopped him before?" He had a point there. A point that scared Hinata. If they succeeded, what would it mean for her? She could only ignore the thoughts of her betrayal for so long, but she pushed them to the back of her mind once again.

"From what you're saying, it would appear that you already have a plan forming."

"You're a smart girl. What do you think?"

"I think that you want to use his belief in others against him."

"If we can get him to believe that you are willing to go back, maybe we can get him."

Hinata worried about the safety of her former friend. She knew that if she did anything to help him, she herself would be in danger. The rest of the Akatsuki would go after him anyway so any effort would be in vain.

Pushing these thoughts aside, Hinata continued to work out their plan for capturing Naruto with her partner, Kisame. Now they just had to tell their leader, Pein.

"Without your ring, we won't be able to contact you. Are you willing to risk missed communication?"

"Y-yes sir." Something seemed odd about the way that they were okay with the idea of her false betrayal. "What if I decide to betray you for real?" Kisame chuckled.

"We have ways of dealing with you. Is that all?"

"Yes sir. Are you ready?" Kisame questioned Hinata. "Yes." Their plan would now go into effect. Hinata took off her ring, releasing the communication jutsu that went with it, and handed it to Pein-sama. The next step would be a rushed letter to Naruto. She would now pretend to be chased by the other members, who were actually there to help her when she finally reached Naruto.

LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE

A few days later in Konoha, the guards on duty noticed a strange messenger bird. It was a common pigeon, not a homing pigeon, and would not be seen as a messenger except for the note tied to its leg. They assumed that it would go to the messaging center in the Hokage tower and did not look back. They did not see it bypass the Hokage tower and head straight for a rundown apartment. A justu had been cast on the bird, causing it to need to see someone with a certain chakra pattern. Someone with the chakra of the Kyuubi.

Naruto was woken up by pecking at his window. Slightly dazed and wondering what it could be, he opened said window. The bird hopped in. He noticed the message tied to its leg and untied it.

'Naruto, help. I realize that what I tried to do was wrong. I am now trying break free, but I don't want to go back to Konoha before I redeem myself. I do not think anyone else would accept me. Please help me escape. Hinata'

I've got to get out of the village and help her, Naruto thought. But first I need to show this letter to Tsunade-baachan. Wait a minute, if I show her this letter, I would be put under guard and others would be sent to bring Hinata into custody. I can't let a friend of mine become a prisoner or risk execution. If I go after the Akatsuki, I can help both Hinata and Sasuke.

With his mind made up, Naruto decided to tell Tsunade about his plan for a vacation outside the village. At first, Tsunade was against the idea, but when he told her about the stress and bad memories that he had supposedly had recently, she agreed as long as he took someone with him. Naruto chose Kiba, as he and Akamaru would be able to track anyone following Hinata.

"Where are we going?"

"We are going to rescue Hinata, datteybayo!" Naruto excitedly whispered.

"What!" "shh!"

"What are you talking about?" Kiba whispered back.

"She sent me this letter." Naruto proceeded to show the letter to Kiba.

"I don't know, it seems like a trap to me."

"One would think you of all people would have more faith in Hinata."

"That was before she tried to kill you. Besides, why would she send the letter to you specifically?"

"Because I believe in her. If it is a trap, I can always send gamubunta for help."

"Okay, then." Kiba really did want to believe in Hinata's good nature, but he couldn't shake the bad feeling he had.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Naruto. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

A few days later found a bloody and broken Kiba wheezing on the ground, his partner Akamaru given up for dead. As he breathed what might be his last breathes, he pondered the events that led to this moment.

They had found Hinata alright and she did appear to be chased. He had used man beast clones against Kisame while Naruto had surrounded him with shadow clones that Kisame had to hack through in order to get to him. Unfortunately, when the real Naruto went to guard Hinata, she surprised him by unloading chakra through the palm she placed on his head during a comrade's embrace. With Naruto knocked out, the shadow clones quickly dispersed, leaving him alone against Kisame and Hinata.

Hinata chose to sit on the sidelines and watch as Kisame swung Samehada after him again and again. Akamaru jumped in to save him once, and ended up shaved to the bone. Even with the sacrifice of his best friend, he still ended up pretty mangled and drained of chakra. The only reason he was still alive was because Hinata told Kisame that they had already accomplished their goal and should head back soon.

Maybe there was still some good in Hinata after all, considering she left him alive. Kiba could only hope that a medic nin found him soon.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Hinata's mission was complete. She and Kisame were headed back to the base, with Kisame carrying Naruto. There was no arguing about it, as it seemed only natural that he would carry Naruto. Kisame was after all larger and physically stronger than Hinata.

The trip back was surprisingly uneventful. Konoha probably didn't even know that Naruto was missing yet. Not much was said along the way, only stopping when needed. The only thing slowing them down was Hinata keeping Naruto unconscious. Having the Kyuubi sped up Naruto's healing enough that he jerked awake a few times.

Kisame had sent the message back to their leader for the rest of the Akatsuki to prepare. As everything was ready for them by the time they got back and Hinata got her ring back, preparations went by all too quickly.

Soon, too soon in Hinata's mind, she was back on her position on the statue's thumb, waiting for Pein to activate the jutsu. "Seven phantom dragon seals!" Hinata focused her chakra and watched as Naruto twisted in agony. At times her heart leapt into her throat and she had the urge to save him, but both their lives would be lost if she tried. Even though the extraction ceremony seemed to pass by even slower than her first one, the statue's eyes seemed to open too quickly.

Her second extraction ceremony was over. Naruto was dead and she hadn't shed a tear. Could she even cry anymore? Hinata looked back on the journey that led her here. She had searched for freedom, and found power instead. Had she lost her humanity? Was she damned for obeying a god?

Hinata didn't know the answer to those questions, but she did know that with all nine demons at the Akatsuki's disposal, she was in for an interesting future.

THE END


End file.
